Athletics is often one of the building blocks that motivated individuals utilize in their drive for success. Although for many the game may end when they graduate from college, the lessons and principles learned remain, strengthening the will and reminding them that hard work is a part of greatness.

Giving back to the community

Anita Maxwell ’96 is one of the fortunate athletes whose career continued after college. After setting records on the NMSU women’s basketball team, Maxwell played in Israel for two seasons and Turkey for two seasons. She was drafted by the now defunct Cleveland Rockers and played in the first season of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She officially retired from professional basketball in 1999.

Maxwell studied international business at NMSU and worked in that field after her pro career, but has since turned her attention to more altruistic endeavors.

“While it was an exciting career, I experienced a burden from feeling like I was not doing my part to make the community and the world a better place,” Maxwell says.

She returned to school at the University of Texas at Arlington to earn a master’s degree in public affairs and a certificate in nonprofit management. Now living in Hampton, Va., she works for the United Way as vice president of Community Initiatives, overseeing the fund distribution process as well as managing agency and community relations.

Maxwell says she has many wonderful memories as an Aggie, but one of her favorites was witnessing how a small segment of the student population used its voice to propel her to be elected Homecoming Queen.

“I enjoyed my time at NMSU. I would attribute my life’s success to my college experience,” Maxwell says. “Being a student-athlete requires good time-management, self-discipline and perseverance. It develops great team-building and teamwork abilities and even teaches you to have a short memory with defeat. I learned how important it is to be prepared for the next challenge that is surely to come so quickly that you do not have time to dwell too long on a setback or loss.”

Guiding student athletes

Mario Moccia ’89 played baseball for the Aggies and was able to use his experience as an NMSU athlete to further his post-college career.

Moccia graduated from NMSU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and received a master’s degree in athletic administration from the University of New Mexico.

As director of intercollegiate athletics for the Southern Illinois University Salukis, Moccia’s responsibilities include overseeing the entire athletic program, which consists of 80 full-time employees, 18 varsity sports and more than 350 student-athletes; fundraising; scheduling; and meeting with alumni.

Moccia and his wife, Heidi, have been married for five years and they have a young daughter, Addie Marie.

“My being a former student-athlete helped tremendously as it taught me to overcome any obstacles and that hard work will get you to your goals,” Moccia says. “I may not have known it at the time, but it formed a desire for me to stay in the field of athletics and work with student-athletes to make sure they were receiving the proper guidance as well as assisting them and our coaches to win championships.”

Moccia says that the connection to NMSU has not been difficult to maintain. The director of sports medicine for football at SIU, Lee Land, is a former NMSU athlete. In addition, once the head football coach told Moccia of a recruit whose father said he knew Moccia from college. The next weekend he was reunited with Randy Brown, a friend from his time at NMSU.

“That night I dug out a tape I still had of the Aggies beating UNLV in men’s basketball at the Pan Am Center in 1990,” Moccia said. “He and I had a great time watching that and it sure rekindled a few Aggie memories.”

Training players

Christine Stephens ’04 has made a career out of her years playing softball at NMSU.

She graduated from NMSU with a bachelor’s degree in social work with a minor in management. She also holds an associate degree in criminal justice.

Residing in West Palm Beach, Fla., Stephens has been working for Get Game Inc., a softball instruction company, for the past four years. In May she started out on her own with CS Softball Instruction, working alongside former NMSU softball coach JoAnn Ferreri and her company, Rhino Softball.

In 2006 Stephens played softball professionally in Italy, catching for the Oltretorrente BC, where she received the Golden Glove Award for the position.

“Playing in Italy was phenomenal,” Stephens said. “Living in a foreign country that has a different language, culture and way of playing the game was a blessing to me. I really got to see how enjoyable life is when you just choose to slow down and enjoy every moment.”

Stephens believes her years at NMSU have contributed to her success, allowing her the space to grow as an athlete and create good time-management skills as well as instilling an appreciation for hard work.

“I would describe my time at NMSU as priceless,” Stephens said. “There is not a day or a minute that I would change. Without my time at NMSU I would have never developed as the athlete/teacher I am today.”

Educating the future

John Burgess ’71 ’83 has dedicated himself to education since leaving NMSU, where he was a member of the basketball team under coach Lou Henson.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a major in physical education and a minor in social studies, he worked in Alamogordo, N.M., as a social studies teacher and head basketball coach for 11 years.

He returned to NMSU and received his master’s degree in educational management and development and has been principal of Clayton High School, in Clayton, N.M., for 23 years.

Among his honors, Burgess has received the $25,000 National Milken Award for Outstanding Secondary Principals for New Mexico and in 2007 Clayton High School received a bronze trophy as one of the best 1,200 high schools of the more than 18,000 in the nation as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

Burgess has two grown children and three younger step-children, one of whom is a freshman at NMSU. He and his family continue to attend games whenever possible.

Burgess remembers fondly the NCAA Final Four tournament at the University of Maryland during the 1969-1970 season when he and the Aggies won third place.

“My years as a player and a competitor gave me a sense of direction and the power to achieve,” Burgess said. “While I was certainly not the most athletic player on the team, I learned that good fundamentals and hard work after hours can enable you to realize dreams, which gave me the power to attain career goals as well.”

Playing professionally

Alena Sharp ’03 used her time at NMSU not only to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing, but also to prepare herself to play at the highest level of competition.

Currently in her third full season in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Sharp is internationally ranked and close to breaking the top 100. Her highest ranking has come this year, when she was ranked number 96 in the world and she is currently Canada’s number one ranked LPGA tour member.

“It is an amazing feeling to be a professionally ranked golfer,” Sharp said. “When I started to play I had no idea I would get to this point and now I have new goals.”

The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) named Sharp the 2008 Ambassador for the RCGA Golf Fore the Cure program. As part of her role as ambassador, she will participate in the Golf Fore the Cure National Event Sept. 15 at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto.

Golf was the major deciding factor in Sharp’s decision to attend NMSU. Being from Canada, she didn’t have the chance to play year-round. NMSU provided that opportunity.

“I also got to play in the spring winds and that has helped me become a better player,” Sharp said. “Going to NMSU elevated my game so I could turn professional.”

Sharp picked up habits at NMSU that continue to serve her well, including hard work and frequent visits to the gym.

“I would describe my time at NMSU as focused,” Sharp says. “I practiced and played hard. I had a good time at NMSU.”

Succeeding in business

Lonnie (Carter) Terry ’63 played football at NMSU under coach Warren Woodson and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

He now lives in Capistrano Beach, Calif., with his wife, Joyce. They have three children, seven grandchildren and a pug named Rocky. Terry says with all their children living in the same area, they enjoy family events as well as watching swimming, soccer, dance recitals, gymnastics and more.

Terry serves as president and CEO of the North American Steel Alliance, a $7 billion purchasing cooperative serving the metals distribution industry. His responsibilities include establishing a strategic plan as well as strategies and tactics to deliver their objectives. Terry said they are fortunate to have a great team of professionals who work together to make their vision a reality.

Terry and his wife are involved in their church as well as a number of charitable and civic organizations. Terry also was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of the NMSU Foundation Inc. He said he is looking forward to serving his university in this capacity.

“I have come to realize the qualities that are required to be a member of a championship team are really no different than those necessary to succeed in a business endeavor,” Terry said. “Qualities such as leadership, mutual respect, commitment, consistency and a desire to embrace challenges versus retreat from them, are all keys to success.”